Mugabe plays Big Brother on the internet

Mugabe plays Big Brother on the internet

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By Staff Reporter

RATHER like the British television reality show Big Brother, Zimbabwe's government has proposed new contracts to snoop on YOUR e-mail messages for internet service providers that will force them to block content or report "malicious messages" to the authorities

The government has proposed new contracts for internet service providers that will force them to block content or report "malicious messages" to the authorities.

Just as we reported late last year, New Zimbabwe.com has been told the new proposals were designed by information minister Jonathan Moyo who has been on a mission to silence dissent and prevent Zimbabweans from posting objections to President Mugabe's excesses on the internent.

The proposed contract obliges providers to "take all necessary measures to prevent" any content inconsistent with Zimbabwe's laws from being carried on their networks.

"The provider shall ensure that objectionable, obscene, unauthorised or any other content, message or communications infringing copyright, intellectual property right and international and domestic cyber laws inconsistent with the laws of Zimbabwe are not carried in his network," it read.

The contract also obliges providers to produce "without delay, all the tracing facilities of the nuisance or malicious messages or communications transported through his equipment and network, to authorised officers of the government of Zimbabwe, when such information is required for investigations of crimes or in the interests of national security".

Police in Zimbabwe arrested 14 people last year accused of circulating a subversive e-mail message calling for "violent demonstrations and strikes to push Robert Mugabe out of office".

In December Mr Mugabe lashed out at the "hegemony" of the developed world, attacking rich nations at a UN-sponsored information summit for imposing their views on access to information and freedom of the press on Zimbabwe.

He vowed his country would control the means to get information to its citizens, and stressed Zimbabwe's sovereignty.

But in March, the Supreme Court outlawed as unconstitutional legal provisions that gave the president powers to eavesdrop or intercept e-mails or telephone conversation.
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